In Israel, the tensions between those who want impose strict conversion standards on individuals seeking to become Jews and those who opt for somewhat more liberal standards have again surfaced in a decision of the Supreme Rabbinical Court last week. YNet News and My Obiter Dicta blog report that the Court has ruled all conversions performed since 1999 by Rabbis Chaim Drukman and Chaim Avior are invalid. As reported by Haaretz, the two rabbis in question operate a special conversion court at Or Etzion Yeshiva . The special courts were created to speed up the conversion process. They are responsible directly to the Prime Minister's Office and the government's chief rabbis. These special courts have been opposed by the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) Bet Din (religious court) system. The ruling came in the context of a divorce proceeding originating in the Ashdod Rabbinical Court, but the decision will affect many converts. The decision is likely to be appealed to Israel's High Court of Justice for final resolution.
UPDATE: Monday's Jerusalem Post reported that Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar assured the thousands of affected converts on Sunday that their conversions would continue to be recognized by the rabbinic establishment. Apparently Amar had expressly ordered the judges not to publish the opinion. Others, however, say that the charges leveled by the Supreme Rabbinical Court against Rabbi Chaim Drukman are so serious that his conversions will inevitably be called into question. The court accused Druckman of intentionally violating Jewish law, lying, and forging official rabbinic documents. The Jerusalem Post also reports that the Public Petitions Committee of the Knesset will hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the issue.
UPDATE: Tuesday's Jerusalem Post publishes an analysis of the ideological split involved in the conversion dispute. It views it as a clash between religious Zionist and haredi rabbis.
